I'm unsure of how far along HK is in the reintegration prices with China. That being said, there is a strong case to be made that the Chinese have every right to eliminate dissidents and protesters regardless of whether these unscrupulous individuals were assaulting law enforcement, as China generally forbids such activities and these individuals are putting thousands of lives at risk by perpetuating these events.
In the United States, they still have some semblance of a first amendment. Drawing these parallels, is why it is apropos.